Founders

Julie DAS

Founder & Project Director

As a French native who has spent a cumulative 20 years in Malaysia, Julie has been able to answer humanitarian calls in various nations.

With a background in Education, it was fitting that Julie began this journey in 2009 with ‘Balo,’ an education-focused organisation in Kolkata, India. Their mission is to provide free Education, medical care, and nutritious food to 270 underprivileged children in a slum. She worked as a volunteer teacher fundraiser and has been responsible for the entire Southeast Asia region since then.

Between 2012 and 2017, she continued teaching children and young adults, began a yoga teacher training course, and gained more profound knowledge of alternative medicine in Kuala Lumpur. While doing this, she volunteered for numerous social projects with Myanmarese refugee communities, supporting them with event planning and fundraising. Furthermore, she opened a responsible travel agency that funds social projects in various countries.

After relocating to Yangon, Myanmar, following a return to Malaysia, Julie developed ‘Linkage,’ a vocational training project in F&B that targeted at-risk teenagers.

As Julie moved back to Kuala Lumpur in 2017, she formed close relations with the refugee communities in her area, particularly with Afghan women, through consistent food distribution drives.

The global pandemic severely impacted the refugee communities, leaving them with no source of income- unable to feed their families, pay rent and cover medical needs.

Noticing a lack of local support for these vulnerable communities, Julie established ‘Greater Action’ in March 2020 to provide day-to-day solutions to all refugee or in-need communities in and around Kuala Lumpur.

Today, Greater Action is proud to support 250 families with education, livelihood, health/mental care, and women empowerment programs.

Julie and Masumeh's story

"By allowing Masumeh to cook Afghan food at home, I gave her a new life. Two years later, when I gave her the chance to cook a meal for our special guests at the GA center, I also gave her the confidence to handle customers and take responsibility on her own. This indirectly gave her family a chance to live better and her father the opportunity to receive the medicines he needed.

These opportunities are not just something we give, but they can change women's lives and the future of their entire families. By breaking the cycle of poverty, we can create a better future for generations to come.

Let's give refugee women more opportunities to thrive, grow strong, and earn a decent living. It's important to recognize that our lives are better when their lives are better.

So, how many refugee stories are we willing to rewrite together?"

Dr. Shazwan SAHABUDEEN

Co-Founder & Healthcare Advisor

Dr. Shazwan Sahabudeen completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine from a private university in Malaysia and was attached to Selayang Hospital. He then accomplished a Doctorate of Business Administration from IBSS in Denmark and is pursuing his PhD in Business Management.

Having owned and run multiple businesses since medical school, Dr. Shazwan has explored and ventured into various industries. He was awarded The Most Prominent Leader award in 2016.

With his many years of experience, Dr. Shazwan founded EduLife Academy in 2018 to create wellness awareness, comprising health and wealth, while focusing on personal development. EduLife Academy then partnered with The Edge of Fitness in 2019 to launch MedFit, an integration of medicine and fitness, which created a wholesome program that inspires people to look and feel good and instill healthy living habits. With its unique “Pay If You Wish” system, this charity-based program was the first of its kind in Malaysia, driven by a vision that everyone should have access to the medical advice and physical training they deserve.

Naturally a warm and compassionate person, Dr. Shazwan thrives in assisting families under Greater Action with medical emergencies, maternity care, mental health, surgical procedures, and diagnostic imaging. To date, there are over 500 families from Malaysia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, and Sri Lanka under his wing.

Kindness and knowledge are meant to be given without reservations, and Dr. Shazwan stands by his belief: